Buckle Bender Tool

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a buckle bender tool that secures a strap in a metal buckle. The buckle bender tool has a main body with a first end and a second end. The tool has a bent edge at a distal end of the first end of the main body. The bent edge forms an acute angle with respect to the main body of the tool. The tool has straight edge at a distal end of the second end of the main body. The buckle bender tool positions a cut-off strap end within a buckle and deforms the buckle to secure the strap therein.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.61/865,163, filed Aug. 13, 2013, the subject matter of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tool for installing a buckle, andmore particularly to a tool for closing a metal buckle and securing astrap within the metal buckle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Metal buckles, as opposed to buckles made of other material, such asplastic, are characterized by desirable properties, such as high tensilestrength, high and low temperature resistance, abrasion resistance,corrosion resistance, and radiation resistance. A variety of buckles,such as Panduit® Pan-Steel® buckles and Band-it® Ear-Lokt buckles areknown. The Panduit® Pan-Steel® buckles are related to U.S. Pat. Nos.4,866,817; 7,171,729; and 7,329,570, which are incorporated by referencein their entireties.

Typically, as illustrated in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 8,793,841,metal buckles are secured to metal straps or ties by hand and with ascrew driver. The cut end of the metal strap is bent by hand into themetal buckle. Next, the flat edge of a screw driver is used to push themetal buckle over the cut end of the metal strap. This process is timeconsuming and difficult in small areas. As result, there is a need for atool that easily positions the metal strap and bends the metal buckleover the strap to secure the strap and the buckle even in a confinedarea.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a buckle bender tool that secures astrap in a metal buckle. The metal buckle has a strap entrance end, astrap exit end, and a deformable retainer. The deformable retainer ofthe buckle has a tab at a distal end and an opening adjacent the tab.The buckle bender tool has a main body with a first end and a secondend. The tool has a bent edge at a distal end of the first end of themain body. The bent edge forms an acute angle with respect to the mainbody of the tool. The tool also has a straight edge at a distal end ofthe second end of the main body. The buckle bender tool positions thecut end of the strap in the buckle and bends the deformable retainer ofthe buckle to position the buckle over the cut-off end of the strapthereby securing the strap and the buckle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the buckle bender tool of the presentinvention positioned to secure the metal buckle.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 1 positioned toinstall the cut end of the metal strap in the metal buckle.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 2 engaging themetal strap and the metal buckle.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one end of the buckle bender tool of FIG.3 engaging the metal strap and the metal buckle.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 4 pushing themetal strap into the metal buckle.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 4 with the metalstrap positioned on the metal buckle.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 6 positioned toclose the metal buckle.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of one end of the buckle bender tool of FIG.7 positioned to close the metal buckle.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 8 positioned inthe closed metal buckle.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the closed metal buckle of FIG. 9, withthe tool removed.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the closed metal buckle ofFIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 1 positioned toclose an adjacent metal buckle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the buckle bender tool 20 of the presentinvention positioned to be installed in a metal buckle 40. An example ofthe metal buckle 40 is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No.8,793,841, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The buckle40 includes a bridge 42, a deformable retainer 44 with an opening 46 anda retainer tab 48, a strap entrance passageway 50 and a strap exitpassageway 52.

The buckle bender tool 20 includes a curved main body with a first end22 and a second end 26. The first end 22 of the tool 20 includes a bentedge 24. The bent edge forms an acute angle with respect to the mainbody of the tool. The second end 26 of the tool 20 includes a straightedge 28. The tool 20 may also be manufactured as a straight tool, ifdesired.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the metal strap 60 is installed arounda cable bundle 70. The metal strap 60 has been tensioned and cut-off byan installation tool. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the buckle bender tool 20positioned to be installed in the opening 46 in the buckle 40 and overthe strap cut end 62.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the first end 22 of the buckle bender tool 20positioned in the opening 46 of the metal buckle 40. The first end 22 ofthe buckle bender tool 20 also engages the cut-off end 62 of the metalstrap 60.

Once the buckle bender tool 20 is positioned in the metal buckle 40, thetool 20 is pulled. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, as the buckle bendertool 20 pulls the deformable retainer 44 of the buckle 40, the bent edge24 of the tool 20 pushes the cut end 62 of the metal strap 60 downwardstowards the buckle 40. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the metal strap cut end62 is bent and is positioned on the buckle 40. As the buckle bender tool20 pulls the buckle 40, the deformable retainer 44 is bent over thecut-off end 62 of the strap 60 approximately 30 degrees.

Next, the straight end 28 of the buckle bender tool 20 is installed inthe opening 46 of the buckle 40 from the opposite side. The tool can beused in either direction with the curved portion facing upwards ordownwards. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the straight end 28 of thebuckle bender tool 20 is positioned through the opening 46 and over thebent cut-off end 62 of the strap 60. Next, the buckle bender tool 20 ispulled thereby deforming the retainer 44 and positioning the retainer 44over the cut-off end 62 of the strap 60, as illustrated in FIG. 9. Oncethe deformable retainer 44 has been positioned over the cut-off end 62of the strap 60, the buckle bender tool 20 is removed.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the deformable retainer 44 andretainer tab 48 of the buckle 40 secure the cut-off end 62 of the strap60 and the cable bundle 70.

Often multiple bundles are positioned adjacent each other along theladder rung. The buckle bender tool of the present invention facilitatesthe closure of metal buckles positioned in close proximity to eachother. FIG. 12 illustrates the buckle bender tool positioned to close ametal buckle positioned adjacent to a second metal buckle. The curvedtool can be used with the curved portion facing upwards, as illustratedin FIG. 12, to provide extra clearance when the bundles are positionedin close proximity. As a result, the buckle bender tool of the presentinvention easily secures a metal buckle in a confined or restrictedspace.

Furthermore, while the particular preferred embodiments of the presentinvention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the teaching of the invention. The matter set forth inthe foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way ofillustration only and not as limitation. The actual scope of theinvention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewedin their proper perspective based on the prior art.

1. A tool for securing a strap in a metal buckle, wherein the metalbuckle having a strap entrance end, a strap exit end, and a deformableretainer with a tab at a distal end and an opening adjacent the tab, thetool comprising: a main body having a first end and a second end; a bentedge at a distal end of the first end of the main body, wherein the bentedge forms an acute angle with respect to the main body of the tool; anda straight edge at a distal end of the second end of the main body. 2.The tool of claim 1, wherein the bent edge of the tool bends a cut endof the strap towards the buckle.
 3. The tool of claim 1, wherein thestraight edge of the tool bends the deformable retainer of the buckleover the cut end of the strap.
 4. The tool of claim 1, wherein the toolhas a curved portion extending from the first end to the second end,whereby the curved tool provides clearance for enabling installation ofadjacent buckles.
 5. The tool of claim 4, wherein the tool secures thestrap in the metal buckle with the curved portion facing upwards.
 6. Thetool of claim 4, wherein the tool secures the strap in the metal bucklewith the curved portion facing downwards.
 7. A method of securing ametal strap to a metal buckle using a buckle bender tool, wherein themetal buckle having a strap entrance end, a strap exit end, and adeformable retainer with a tab at a distal end and an opening adjacentthe tab, the method comprising the steps of: positioning a bent edge ata first end of the buckle bender tool in the opening in the buckle withthe bent edge of the buckle bender tool positioned over a cut off end ofthe strap; engaging the cut off end of the strap with the bent edge ofthe buckle bender tool; pushing the cut off end of the strap downwardswith the bent edge of the buckle bender tool until the cut off end ofthe strap is positioned on the buckle; and pulling the buckle bendertool to bend the deformable retainer of the buckle 30 degrees over thecut-off end of the strap.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprisingthe step of positioning the second end of the buckle bender tool in theopening of the buckle and over the bent cut-off end of the strap;pulling the buckle bender tool to further deform the retainer andposition the retainer over the cut-off end of the strap; and removingthe buckle bender tool.